Assessing Parker’s trade chances

Less than 24 hours to go until the start of Thursday’s NBA draft, and the question remains: Is Tony Parker really on the trading block?

The Spurs already own the 20th pick, their highest since taking Tim Duncan first overall in 1997, but rumors persist that they are looking to move up even higher than that — and that they could use their three-time All-Star point guard as a bargaining chip to get there.

The Spurs helped fuel the trading-up rumors at last month’s combine in Chicago, opting to interview Georgia Tech big man Derrick Favors — a presumptive top-5 selection. Through media reports, the Spurs have also been mentioned in Parker-related talks with Indiana, which has the 10th pick.

Yet two NBA front-office sources — each representing separate teams with a top-10 pick — told the Express-News reports of the Spurs shopping Parker are overblown.

Meanwhile, a rival Western Conference general manger said Wednesday he believes the Spurs are as apt to trade down as up Thursday.

Parker’s inclusion in trade rumors is understandable. He is the Spurs’ most tradable asset, perhaps the only single player who could get them into the top 10 of this year’s draft. Parker is heading into the final season of his contract, and there is some question as to whether the Spurs will be able to offer him the kind of extension he wants.

Though he’s coming off an injury-plagued season, Parker, at 28, is in the prime of his career, and is just one season removed from an All-NBA campaign.

Throughout the summer, Parker has tried to block out the chatter.

“I’m happy to be here,” he said. “At the same time, it’s a business, so if the Spurs want to do something, they will.”

Much of Parker’s assumed availability can be traced to George Hill, who thrived in his second NBA season last year, split between both guard positions. Hill, however, is still more of a natural shooting guard, ill-suited for the pick-and-roll — the bread-and-butter play required of Spurs point guards, and one Parker has mastered.

The upshot: The Spurs might indeed end up trading Parker, but it would likely cause a whole new set of problems unless they are able to land a proven point guard in return.